[Jesus] said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

– John 21:17-18

Of the countless stirring moments we have seen or heard about over the six days of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States, one image has struck me as the most moving and deeply meaningful of the whole sojourn: the moment when the 81-year-old bishop of Rome exited his shiny, protective popemobile to walk down the last part of the ramp leading to the small gathering at Ground Zero.

Many times this past week Benedict revealed himself to have an exquisite sense of proportion, of knowing what is appropriate to the moment — and never more so than at the footprint of the North Tower. At his age, in the chill morning, the pope might have been excused for slowly motoring down to the assembly, but he instead shed a worldly trapping of convenience and made his solemn way.

Although his aides moved with him, he walked with a grave air of solitude, a small gray-haired man in a beautifully tailored light coat, his arms at his side. Benedict wore an expression of obedient resolution and moved as though he was being pulled inexorably in, and further in, to the place he would rather not go — into our national gaping wound of horror, confusion, evil, and despair — and he fell to his knees and prayed.

There was nothing dramatic in his expression. He did not mug for the camera or demonstrate his prayer beyond his posture and closed eyes; he allowed us our dignity while keeping his own. One sensed that had his secretary not interrupted, his prayer would have gone on and on.

America has been spiritually and politically reeling since 9/11, struggling to find balance in a world full of new challenges and ugly realities. It has been a bloody and divisive effort and Americans are weary. In a tumultuous election year, we are trying to regroup and find our way. And we still mourn; we mourn our dead and the loss of our youthful, trusting innocence. Benedict came into all of that. He prayed; he met; he listened; he entered into the pain.

Although his meeting with some of the victims of the shameful sex abuse scandals was private and unseen, I suspect Benedict wore that same expression, and carried himself in that same resolute manner, as he allowed himself to be led where he would rather not go, placed into the presence of the church’s deepest wound — a wound of horror, confusion, evil, and betrayal. The terrible sin of some of our priests, compounded by their bishops, has been a source of sickening and unrelenting shame for us. We have felt the disgust in our bellies and wished we could push the whole story away, because the pain is so abysmal and vast. But it can be pushed away no longer, and Benedict said that even before his plane hit the ground at Andrews AFB, and every day after.

But speaking difficult words is easier than looking into the eyes of innocent lambs wounded and left to fend for themselves by neglectful and self-interested shepherds within the family. Benedict trusted and was led to look into those agonized eyes, and to tend the wounds, because it needed to be done if the flock is to survive. He did it for an American church which — scattered, divided, and needing to regroup — simply could not bear to do it on her own. He met; he listened; he entered into the pain. A healing process is begun. Within the flock, there is hope renewed.

Who would have thought it? After the glamor and punched-up charisma of John Paul II, many in America had set low expectations for this man who was known mostly by his media caricature, that of “hard-line enforcer.” For six days we watched and listened; we came to know Benedict as a cerebral and soft-spoken man whose body language was endearingly awkward and whose pen seemingly never rested. He is warmer than we expected, and he is braver than we knew. Overwhelmingly, though, Benedict is gentle and exceedingly, edifyingly humble. He is a “Supreme Shepherd” but one who allows himself to be led, and ever led, by the Divine one.

Looking back, we should have realized it sooner. When he understood, during the papal conclave, that he was going to be John Paul’s successor, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger prayed, “Lord, don’t do this to me.” At his inaugural mass in 2005, Benedict begged of us: “Pray for me, that I may learn to love the Lord more and more. Pray for me, that I may learn to love his flock more and more. Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”

Three years later, upon being informed in St. Patrick’s Cathedral that it was the exact hour and anniversary of that election, he echoed that sentiment: “I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the Successor of Peter.”

Always when a pope travels, much is made of the external trappings — the vestments, the red shoes, the miter and crosier — and often there are criticisms that the pope is too richly dressed, too well-shod. But the Successor of Peter does not dress himself; he is dressed by his Office, and not for his own vanity but for the benefit of the sheep who seek him out amongst the merchants, politicians, pilgrims, and other shepherds. His sheep mill around and graze; they frolic and fight; they stray and get caught in snares and attacked; and they look to that recognizable shepherd for guidance and rescue — to be gathered safely back, and to be walked home. But even the shepherd — if he is a good and mindful one who truly loves his sheep — allows himself to be led. He is aware of the hour. And obedient to the sun.

19 Comments, 19 Threads

1.
Gino Dalpiaz

Anchoress: As a true daughter of the Church, you have the feminine gift of being able to fathom the depths of the mind and heart of this humble successor of St. Peter, Benedict XVI. You have captured the genius and holiness of this extraordinary human being, with whom the Spirit of God has blessed our poor wounded Church, our Mother. Yes, “he is being led,” but he’s walking bravely in the Shoes of the Fisherman.

Well-done. There was integrity evident in every exchange, which is more than “gravitas.” It is a moral authority that can only be won by decades of dedication founded on an integrated message. It’s hard to plead ignorance having been given this gift. Granted, one can be blinded by sin, but God’s mercy is completely within grasp. Oremus!

I’m not Catholic (I’m bearly Christian to be honest) and yet I have always found The Pope to be a fascinatingly wise individual. Certainly Pope John Paul II was charismatic and always appeared approachable. But this new Pope Benedict – he is a man of deep feelings and understanding, a truly sympathetic man in a time of great strife, all over the world and within his own religion.

Anchoress – a sublime bit of writing here, good for all souls not just Catholic ones. Thank you.

This extraordinary Pope has touched and healed more hearts and souls than he knows. But to those who may be meeting the sublime Anchoress for the first time – she too has the gifts that allow her to help us to heal ourselves of the wounds of daily living. Once again, beautiful and insightful writing from The Anchoress.

I may not write as eloquently as you in your posting
but what I took away from his visit to Ground Zero
was how he listened to those he met with. You could see
the expression on his face as they talked with him. You could
see the, not sure what word I am looking for but maybe, pain in
his face as to what horrors or sorrows these people have faced and shared with him.
I am sure that he handled himself the same way as when he met with the victims of the sex abuse scandal and hope that he was able to start a reconciliation and renewal
of spirit in the Church.

You did a beautiful job and hit the nail right on the head! Pope Benedict is far wiser than we know and far more humble than we could have imagined… He is the perfect Shepherd and the perfect Peter for our times! God bless him and God bless your writing!

There are two related questions that arise: Are we just voyeurs in the sex abuse crisis? Are we just voyeurs in the response to 9/11?

The latter is of interest to me. I am a Knight of Columbus, 4th degree, pgk pfn. Over the last two years I tried to raise interest in a sumbolic act on 9/11, using it as a symbolic date on which to address the pervasiveness of violence in human society. The indifference has been thundering.

The standard operative method to deal with violence of all kinds is to “let it go.” But it does not let us go, any more than the lingering effects of sin lets us go.

I live within site of a US Civil War battlefield. In the next town south from me is a historical marker for a notorious lynching of a century ago. Further south is a small river into which bodies of dead children were dumped some decades ago. Further south, a public place in which a terrorist act killed someone.

By the side of the road I regularly find small impromptu shrines — they appear to mark the place at which an automobile event caused one or more deaths. I have seen similiar shrines that mark violence and death from guns.

Anchoress, I’ve been a reader of yours for some time – I’ve even commented a time or two over at the blog… and I just wanted to thank you for this piece. The Pope – any Pope, but this one in particular, perhaps – is a difficult figure for me… it is always hard to know how to respond to a man who has described something fundamental to your identity and your dearest dreams for the future “objectively disordered” – but through the insights you’ve given, this piece among them, I am finding myself able to move past that, forgive the hurts, and really learn from a man who really is wise, and compassionate, and a good shepherd to so many of my Catholic brothers and sisters. It feels good to stop hating him, and you’ve been a part of that for me. Thanks, and blessings to you.

You have given me a perspective I had not known that I was missing.
When John Paul was visibly, physically failing, he took upon himself all of that suffering and still remained the shepard of his flock. To the end.
The Office dresses the man.
Thank you.

Pope John-Paul the Great, got our attention, he beckoned us to look. He made a deep communion with many young people, Those same people are now parents, priests and religious, they are now coming into their own as leaders in their communities.

I feel that like a Kindergarten, or Elementary school teacher, you have to be part entertainer to engage the learning process and start to direct the urge to explore and learn from “concrete” to “abstract,” just so, we needed a Karol Wojtyła.

Pope Benedict XVI is the High School or College instructor that demands we keep up with him and we soon find, (even as we grumble at the work) he was beside us, guiding us and well pleased with our progress. Joseph Ratzinger was one for most of his adult life.

Karol was the “Uncle” everyone wants in their life, and Joseph is “Grand-Father” that everyone loves and respects. Telling was how little children “come to him” as they did to his predecessor.

Let me see: the Pope supports:
1. Open borders
2. Praises the UN. one worldism
3. Welfare
4. Gun control, disarmaments
5. Green movement
6. Wants more economic justice
And opposes:
1. War in Iraq
2. Death penalty
3. Abortion
So except for Abortion, everything the Pope supports would be what we mockingly disdain as liberalism. So why aren’t more Cons, who love babbeling about religion in their juvenile divisive way, supporting him on these causes? Do they think he is wrong? Do they think he is right but simply malicious and sinful?

Nicely done. Here is a man of not only integrity, but class as we have not seen in a very long time. Yes, he reminds me of my German grandfather who died when I was four. He made me remember. I can’t help thinking that he was thinking about the horrors of WWII as he looked at Ground Zero. He understands tragedy, but his love of hope is something he has personal experience of. If all those in Europe did not have hope in rebuilding and also recovering from the Spiritual poverty of the Nazi regime then ALL would be lost. Thank you and bless you.
Janice

This is the first time I have read your blog, and for that I am the poorer…. Your reflection on the Pope’s visit to Ground Zero was exquisite and deeply moving. I had the privilege (and surprised myself!) of participating in the youth rally in Yonkers, NY, and was profoundly impacted by experiencing Pope Benedict’s genuine warmth and hospitality toward the youth who interaced with him – his humility and joy were palpable! I continue to pray for an openness of heart toward those I had “written off” as having nothing to say to or teach our world today. Thank you again for your wisdom shared.
Fran